Planning and Project Management
The reason I have included planning and project management (PM) in a Change Management Toolbook originates in the crisis that classical PM faces right now. Originally developed as a sub-discipline of engineering, PM assumes that if you design a concise plan and put the resources right in place, you will achieve your predefined objectives.
Reality has proven this is rarely the case. More than 50% of projects fail in the sense that they :
- do not achieve their objectives, or
- do not deliver the promised results, or
- sacrifice the predefined quality, or
- are not completed in the given time schedule, or
- use more resources than originally planned.
(For a more detailed description of the reasons for project failure, go to Risk Analysis).
However, I still believe that the classical PM tools have their justification and can help, for example, a team to structure their tasks. In my work I have found out that many project teams are open to Change Management intervention, particularly if they have already started their journey and experienced the first flaws. They start to ask, "Why don't we achieve what we want to achieve?", and "What can we do differently?" That is a perfect entrance point for a Change Management facilitator. Depending on the project, and on the limitations the team experiences, any of the tools described in this Toolbook might be applicable. There are, however, some general considerations (and some very specific tools) that should be applied at the beginning of a planning process:
Project Cycle Management:
Many agencies of development assistance have adopted the PCM method as a general tool for planning. While in general, this approach has some real advantages, it has also shown its limitations. These are some general thoughts on PCM, which I published 7 years ago: Some of them are still valid.
Applying Chaos Theory to Planning:
Over the years, I have developed several different approaches to a planning workshop. This is one I have used quite successfully.
T.O.T.E.:
A tool for defining your desired outcome. A good starter exercise for a planning process.
Walt-Disney:
A nice tool developed by Robert Dilts which allows creativity to creep in planning sessions.
Scenario Analysis:
This is nowadays my preferred approach for strategic planning. Scenarios shake the mental maps of those who develop them by inventing stories about what cannot be known - the future.
Risk Analysis of Projects:
Although originally not conceived as a change management tool, this kind of risk analysis can really help teams to get a breakthrough. It helps to identify communication gaps and risks that have not been recognized.
